


Ladyalanye and Northernwolf

by thewolvescalledmehome



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 20:33:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11974515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewolvescalledmehome/pseuds/thewolvescalledmehome
Summary: For the photo prompt thing on tumblr (picture was of a cell phone message screen). Prompt #1Or where Sansa sends a message out into the university chat room before she starts college, not expecting anything but finds her best friend.





	Ladyalanye and Northernwolf

When Sansa enrolled in college, chat rooms had long since been a thing of the past. They’d been popular when she was in middle school. She remembered all the hours she spent in front of the Stark family desk top, IM-ing with friends from school, talking about boys when they should’ve been doing homework. That had been the time of acronyms, using any code so that, if parents happened to come in, they wouldn’t be able to understand the discussion, but before emojis. They had screen names back then, embarrassing ones, like _lemoncakegirl93_ or _princessjonquil._

Sansa remembered getting asked out on her first date that way, and telling her then-best friend all about her first kiss through chat rooms.

When smartphones became a thing, Sansa thought chat rooms, IM-ing, and all of that became a thing of the past. People started texting, or messaging. There was no more anonymity.

Until she showed up to freshman orientation.

The university had a chat room set up, just like the ones she’d used in middle school. It meant to connect people, make easier to make friends. They hoped people would become friends through the chat room, and start university with these new friends.

That wasn’t quite how it worked out for Sansa.

She made her account, using a name slightly less embarrassing than the ones she’d used in middle school: _ladyalayne_. She used her middle name, just in case.

She checked the chat room throughout the summer, expecting someone to post something in it, but no one did.

She really didn’t want to be the first one to post in it, but the night before she moved into the dorms, she sent a message into the void, thinking a friend on the first day would be a nice thing to have.

 _The worst that could happen would be no one responding, right?_ Sansa thought.

**Ladyalayne: Any good recommendations on where to eat on campus?**

She sat, staring at the app screen, wondering if she’d get a response.

 **Northernwolf:** **Yeah. Don’t.**

**Ladyalayne: Campus food that bad?**

**Northernwolf: It’s not bad if you’re starving.**

**Northernwolf: If you’re looking for somewhere good, go to the pizza place next to the used video game store. It’s downtown. They have good ice cream too.**

**Ladyalayne: Thanks. Any other good recommendations?**

**Northernwolf: Want a virtual tour of campus?**

**Ladyalayne: If you’re offering.**

Sansa and Northernwolf spent the evening chatting, with them giving a commentary of the food, stores, restaurants, bars, professors, and dorms. Sansa thought it was far more informative than the orientation had been.

Sansa sent a message again her first night in the dorms, after going out to eat with her family at the pizza place.

**Ladyalayne: @Northernwolf, thanks for the rec. Pizza was great.**

**Northernwolf: Enjoying your first night on campus?**

**Ladyalayne: It’s okay. Roommate hasn’t moved in yet, so it’s a little weird being alone in the room.**

**Northernwolf: Ah, yeah, that would be weird.**

**Northernwolf: You could always go exploring.**

**Ladyalayne: What’d you mean? It’s ten pm.**

**Northernwolf: Ten bucks says there’s already someone doing laundry in your building.**

**Ladyalayne: What? No way. It’s the first day.**

**Ladyalayne: I bet you’re wrong.**

**Ladyalayne: I’m going to check.**

Sansa crept down to the laundry room, expecting it to be all dark, but the light was on, and Northernwolf was right. Someone was doing laundry.

**Ladyalayne: Seven hells, you were right.**

**Northernwolf: There’s always someone doing laundry the first day. Could never understand why, but it’s a universal rule.**

**Ladyalayne: What else do you know?**

Sansa spent the rest of the night messaging Northernwolf, who told her all of the myths and superstitions they’d heard.

* * *

 

Over the course of her first semester, Sansa relied a lot on Northernwolf, who helped her navigate her first semester of college. They were still the only two using the app, but they never exchanged names.

When she went home for winter break, the app became quiet. She didn’t have any questions for her and Northernwolf apparently didn’t have anything to say to her. She thought maybe now that she was through her first semester, she wouldn’t need their help anymore.

That is, until she started her second semester and saw that she had one of the professors Northernwolf had warned her about.

**Ladyalayne: @Northernwolf, I have Baelish for Poly Sci 103. Wasn’t he one you warned against taking?**

**Northernwolf: Yeah. Is there any way to switch to a different prof?**

**Ladyalayne: Not this late. And I need the class for my major.**

**Northernwolf: Send me your number.**

**Ladyalayne: What? No.**

**Northernwolf: If he tries anything, I want you to be able to text me.**

**Ladyalayne: Thanks for the thought, but I’m not sending my number out on a public forum.**

**Northernwolf: I’m sending you a private chat. Send it in there.**

**Ladyalayne: Fine.**

Sansa sent her number into the private chat and was surprised when her phone buzzed with a text only a few seconds later.

_UNKNOWN:_

**It’s Northernwolf. I’m serious. Text me if you need anything.**

_SANSA:_

**Okay. Thanks.**  

Sansa didn’t end up needing their number for they sent it, but she used it often anyway. They quit using the chat room, deciding instead to text each other. They didn’t exchange names though.

At some point during the semester, Sansa got confirmation that Northernwolf was, in fact, a guy.

She wasn’t sure when they became friends, talking about more than just school and campus life, but during her second semester, Northernwolf asked for advice about a girl.

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**How do I talk to cute girls?**

_SANSA:_

**You don’t know how to talk to cute girls?**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Not well.**

_SANSA:_

**Tell her that her name is pretty.**

They continued back and forth like that, with her giving him advice when he asked, and him filling her in on how it was going. He still gave her advice about school and campus, but they talked about other things too.

She told him about her roommate, about her homesickness. She told him about the cute boy in her class. She told him about the first party her roommate took her to, and how she got drunk on wine coolers.

He told her what parties and frat houses to avoid. He told her about his first time getting drunk to make her feel better about hers.

Somewhere in that second semester, Northernwolf became her best friend.

* * *

 

Over the course of her sophomore year, Sansa told Northernwolf about the guy she started dating. She asked him for advice she couldn’t ask her older brother. She told him all about how awkward and embarrassing her first time was, and he assured her that it got better and everyone’s first time was awkward, including his.

They would text each other when they got home from their dates, relaying information the way Sansa had with her best friends in middle school.

At the end of her sophomore year, the boy she had been seeing all year broke up with her, and it wasn’t her roommate or her friends she told first. It was Northernwolf.

_SANSA:_

**He broke up with me. Right before my poly sci exam.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Want me to kick his ass?**

_SANSA:_

**Nah, it’s all right. He was kinda a jackass anyway.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Are you okay?**

_SANSA:_

**It happened two hours ago, so not really. But I will be.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Do you want to talk about it?**

_SANSA:_

**Not right now. I’m buying ice cream and then I’m going to hole up with Netflix until my exam on Thursday.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Let me know what you’re watching. I’ll watch it with you.**

_SANSA:_

**Aw, thanks. I’ll text you when I’m home.**

Sansa spent the next two days spending more time laughing than crying, thanks to Northernwolf. Her feel good movies were all musicals and Northernwolf watched all of them with her. He texted her through them, occasionally making fun of them and occasionally admitting that **you know what? Some musicals aren’t shit.** She told him a little bit more about the break up between movies and he made her feel better.

Halfway through her first semester of her junior year, Sansa ended up doing the same thing for Northernwolf. The girl he’d been dating since her freshman year broke up with him and Sansa was there for him the way he had been there for her.

_SANSA:_

**Do you wanna watch musicals and eat ice cream?**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**My friends are dragging me out—said it’s the best cure. I’ll text you later.**

_SANSA:_

**Okay.**

It was several hours later when she heard from him again. 

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Alayne?**

_SANSA:_

**Yeah?**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Why’d she break up with me?**

_SANSA:_

**Because she’s an idiot?**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**She said I was boring.**

_SANSA:_

**Nah, you’re not boring.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**No?**

**She also said I was too serious.**

**That I’m the type of guy you bring home to appease your parents before sneaking off with the hot bad boy.**

_SANSA:_

**Oh, Wolf.**

**That’s a good thing. Most girls would love to have a guy like that.**

**She’s just…**

**Not the girl for you.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Oh, thanks, Alayne.**

_SANSA:_

**You know what I mean.**

**You’ll find someone better.**

**Someone nice, who recognizes what a great guy you are.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**I hope you’re right.**

_SANSA:_

**I know I am.**

* * *

 

It was during her second semester of her junior year that Sansa started thinking about meeting Northernwolf. They’d been friends for three years. She talked to him nearly every day. He knew more about her than her other best friends did, but they didn’t even know each other’s names.

Sansa didn’t mention it yet though. She wasn’t sure if bringing it up so soon after the break up would be a good idea.

Plus, what if they met and it ruined their friendship? What if they met and he was actually a jackass in person?

Or worse.

What if they met and he was actually the sweet guy he came across as?

What if he was _attractive?_

What would she do then?

* * *

 

_SANSA:_

**So… Wolfie. I’ve been thinking.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Uh oh.**

_SANSA:_

**Shut up.**

**So I’m graduating soon.**

**We’ve been friends for four years.**

**I think we should meet.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Are you sure?**

_SANSA:_

**I mean, yeah.**

**I can’t very well tell people that my best friend in college was called Northernwolf and I never met him, can I?**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**No, I suppose not.**

**Okay.**

**Let’s meet.**

_SANSA:_

**Okay.**

**The pizza place? Seven, on Friday?**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Sounds good.**

_SANSA:_

**How will I know it’s you?**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**I have a massive white wolfdog. I’ll be hard to miss.**

**What about you?**

_SANSA:_

**I’ve got red hair and pale skin. I basically look like a weirwood tree.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Good to know.**

**See you Friday?**

_SANSA:_

**See you Friday.**

Sansa was anxiously excited when Friday came around. She spent far too long picking out an outfit, far too long doing her hair. She wanted to look nice, for a boy she’d never even met.

For a boy who’d been her best friend and closest confidant for four years.

She had planned on getting there early, but lost track of time trying to find the perfect outfit and ended up running late.

_SANSA:_

**On my way. Lost track of time.**

_NORTHERNWOLF:_

**Oh good. You’re not standing me up.**

_SANSA:_

**Shut up. I’m not even five minutes late yet.**

Sansa saw the white wolfdog as soon as she opened the door. It was curled half under a two-seater table in front of the window.

 _Oh, shit. He’s hot,_ Sansa realized, looking at the man sitting with the dog.

“Northernwolf?” she asked, coming up to the table.

“It’s Jon, actually. You must be Alayne.” He stood, offering his hand. Sansa took it, trying to ignore how warm and strong it was.

“Sansa. Alayne’s my middle name.”

“Sansa. That’s pretty.” Sansa blushed a little, smiling at him. Jon smiled back.


End file.
